The 2028 race did not wait long to start. Less than a day after Republicans took a beating in the midterms, Vice President JD Vance and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis were both making moves that look a lot like the opening steps of a presidential run.

Vance went first. In a long social media post Wednesday morning, he blamed the losses on the war with Iran and put some distance between himself and the administration's foreign policy. He sketched out what reads like an early platform built around ending the war, lowering costs, focusing on problems at home and rethinking the country's ties with Israel.

He also had a message for frustrated Republicans. He told them their anger was justified and urged them to channel it back into the work ahead.

A wider field

Until this week, Vance was widely seen as the heir apparent. Now some Republicans say the lane is opening up. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich wrote that the scale of the defeat leaves the nomination wide open. An influential conservative leader in Iowa predicted the field could grow as crowded as the 2016 primary.

DeSantis has wasted little time. On Wednesday he called the midterms an extinction-level event for Republicans while pointing out that Florida held the line. Days earlier, in a lengthy interview released on the eve of the election, he accused the administration of misleading voters and fumbling its immigration push. He also took aim at Big Tech and artificial intelligence, a pointed jab at an industry seen as close to Vance.

People from his 2024 campaign say his recent moves are being read as keeping the door open. DeSantis himself declined to talk about his plans and said he will be a free man when his term ends in January.

Others weigh in

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said on his podcast that too many politicians brushed off concerns about affordability. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp laid out his own vision built on conservative principles, a post one South Carolina operative read as a sign he is running.

Vance still has real advantages. Primary voters tend to favor sitting vice presidents and he has deep ties to big donors from his time as finance chair of the national party. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also often named as a possible contender, though he has said he would not run against Vance.

Vance has said he would decide after the midterms. Allies say Tuesday's results will weigh on that choice.